A young mum who spent the year battling cancer is preparing for an amazing Christmas with her baby girl.

Ollie Isbel, 23,  from Weymouth was told she wouldn’t make it to her daughter Harper’s first birthday - and is now celebrating Christmas cancer free.

Ollie was 22 when she had her daughter Harper last year and fell ill shortly aafterwards.

It took more than 12 weeks and multiple visits to Ollie's GP and  A&E before she was diagnosed  with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL).

Following the birth of her daughter Ollie lost five stone in weight and started getting severe stomach pain and was also told:  'it just sounds like you’re not coping with being a mum.'

After chemotherapy and long stays in hospital, the 23-year-old received the all clear from cancer last month, and is looking forward to a magical Christmas with her daughter.

Ollie said: ““We’re super excited and Harper is already loving all the Christmas decorations and lights. We’ve even set up some lights in our back garden so at night she can look out our glass back door at them.

“Christmas Eve is definitely my favourite part of Christmas, we will be baking Christmas cookies and decorating them, having elf pancakes for dinner and then watching the polar express with hot chocolates and popcorn - not the healthiest day but isn’t that what Christmas is all about.”

Sophie Gardiner, Manager at the Boot Inn in Weymouth, has set up a fundraiser to ensure that Ollie and Harper would have the best Christmas ever.

Sophie became aware of Ollie’s story after reading about it in the Dorset Echo when she was fundraising for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Ollie added: “The fundraising is going really well and the event on December 1, was absolutely incredible and I’m so grateful for all the local businesses that donated prizes for our raffle and to everyone that has donated.

“It has enabled me to be able to buy Harper Christmas presents, take her out for Christmas events and even decorate our home for Christmas.

“I’d like to especially thank the Polar Express train in Swanage and Nutley Farm for giving us free tickets so we can make some special memories with Harper.

“We have lights in every room and she even has her own pink Christmas tree in her bedroom.”

The fundraiser is still running and as Ollie is unable to work due to still being ill and having to go in and out of hospital, any money’s raised will help support her.

She said: “After Christmas I’ll be using some of the donation money to decorate our new flat and truly turn it into our home.

Everyone at the Boot and Hardy's Hophouse have been absolutely incredible towards us. Sophie has turned into one of my best friends and we speak to each other nearly every day

“I just can’t express enough how grateful I am to everybody that has donated money or prizes or their time to helping us - We really do live in an incredible town and myself and Harper are two very lucky girls.”

If you would like to donate to the fundraiser to help Ollie and Harper have a magical Christmas and a happy New Year, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Ollieisbell?utm_term=8kdAGeX2Z&fbclid=IwAR2WTXi6CQ2E9m4Te_-krjVC8fl6PYEL9weNRgAxOm3YPPoCyJpGbQYJJgs.